1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to conveyor systems, and more particularly, to a conveyor system of the type that employs a conveyor belt cover that in some embodiments has antimicrobial properties and displays a printed decorative feature or message.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The desire for incorporating advertising and other messages or indicia onto conveyor systems has long been recognized. The prior art has numerous times addressed the need to enhance conveyors, particularly at retail check-out stands, with decorative and advertising elements that increase visual appeal or stimulate sales of products and services.
Many of the prior art efforts directed toward achieving a suitable display of information at retail checkout locations involve the application of indicia on the checkout conveyor belt. In some such instances, printing is performed directly on the checkout conveyor belt, and in other prior art approaches preprinted material is adhered or otherwise attached to the checkout conveyor belt.
In one known arrangement, preprinted static cling sheets are adhered to the checkout conveyor belt by electrostatic attraction. It is well-known, however that electrostatic attraction is unreliable. The quality of the adhesion is inherently weak, in no small measure is a function of ambient temperature and humidity, and is attacked by the need to stretch when traveling over pulleys. Ultimately, abrasion caused by products being placed on the checkout conveyor belt during the checkout procedure will cause lifting of the static cling sheets, particularly at the leading edges, resulting in buckling, binding, and total separation. The separated static cling sheets can collect under the checkout conveyor belt requiring at least partial disassembly of the checkout stand to effect clearing.
In another known arrangement, a cover is arranged to surround the entire checkout conveyor belt, and is releasably attached thereto. Plural attachments of the cover to the checkout conveyor belt in this known arrangement are made as perimeter and width attachment components. Numerous problems are present in the practice of the known arrangement. For example, the cover will buckle and tend to deviate laterally (i.e., transverse to the direction of conveyance). Nevertheless, even when the cover is installed to achieve adequate initial alignment, stretching and distortion of the cover on the belt will result from the cover being loaded, and from being driven about the support rollers, ultimately resulting in axial deviation that in relatively short order will require the checkout stand to be shut down for repair or replacement of the cover. Such covers must be produced to exacting standards to improve the likelihood that replacement covers track with the moving checkout conveyor belt. However, as stated, shear forces ultimately will separate the cover from the checkout conveyor belt, and in instances where strong adhesives are used, damage to the checkout conveyor belt will result.
An obvious problem with known arrangements that use permanent print directly on the checkout conveyor belt is that the elevated cost of the base belt and the need for installation by skilled individuals prohibit frequent change of the message. In addition, some known methods of applying indicia to a checkout conveyor belt require formation of recesses in the surface of the belt that accommodates the indicia, and such recesses are not only costly to achieve, but also form crevices where bacteria and other microbes accumulate and grow. Efforts have been made in the art to cover the indicia with transparent plastic, but this renders the checkout conveyor belt thicker, less flexible, and more costly.
It is a further problem with known checkout conveyor arrangements that consumer articles placed thereon, such as meat packages and liquids, will be deposited on the conveyor, providing nutrition to colonies of bacteria and other microbes. Customers are fully aware of such spills on the conveyor, and are often adverse to permitting the foodstuffs that they intend to purchase from communicating directly with the conveyor. Such customers would be comforted by an effective antimicrobial feature in the checkout conveyor.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a system for stimulating sales of products or services at retail checkout locations.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system for installing indicia on a checkout conveyor belt wherein the message thereon is simply and inexpensively changeable at frequent intervals that are significantly shorter than the life of the checkout conveyor belt.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a system for installing indicia on a checkout conveyor belt that does not have crevices where bacteria will accumulate.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a system for installing indicia on a checkout conveyor belt that does not require modification of the base checkout conveyor belt.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide a low cost cover for a base conveyor belt that also has relatively low cost of maintenance due to the elimination of the need for alignment adjustment.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a system for installing indicia on a checkout conveyor belt that does not require adhesion to the base checkout conveyor belt, and that readily can be removed without impacting the utility of the base checkout conveyor belt.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide a system for installing indicia on a checkout conveyor belt that covers the base checkout conveyor belt substantially entirely, is sufficiently flexible so as not to impose significant loading on the belt drive system, but is sufficiently rigid so as not to curl or bind at the axial edges.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a cover system for a base conveyor belt wherein the conveyor belt cover aligns itself axially in the direction of conveyance, particularly after having temporarily been subjected to loading.
It is also another object of this invention to provide a system for installing indicia on a checkout conveyor belt whereby the installation does not require removal, modification, or replacement of the base checkout conveyor belt.
It is yet an additional object of this invention to provide a system for installing indicia on a checkout conveyor belt whereby the installation can quickly be achieved by persons of limited mechanical skills.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an antimicrobial feature to a conveyor arrangement.